I left home a happy woman. With my bundle of joy tucked in my hands, I couldn't help smile at what the world had in store for me. Whatever it had rolled up in its sleaves, I was so much prepared for it.
That morning when we got home, I found my mother and Denis eagerly waiting for our arrival. The had a small celebration prepared to welcome I and baby Prince home.
Although exasperated from hours of labour in the hospital, I found solace in the smiles my family held towards to me.
"Congratulations Dear, you're now a mother! "
My mother exclaimed as she took me in embrace. She then took the baby from Lana, blessing her with her wise words.
It was beautiful watching them. Denis too on the other hand, could not stop grinning when he was handed the baby. He looked shy which made his so cute to stare at.
"Oh boy, you're next. " My mother joked. This made Denis more shy. As my bodyguard, this was the closest we had gotten ever since the departure of his boss, Brian McDermott Grey.
As I languished in the love of my family, the meals were served which we enjoyed with so much laughter. Baby Prince had slept in my mother's arms. It took too much coercing to make my mother let the baby sleep in his cot.
After the celebration, I retrieved to my room to rest. Everyone, including my mother dispersed to their homestead. She promised to visit again.
***
Time flew fast, as six months passed and my baby was all grown. As days went by, my hope kept getting stronger. I had a feeling Brian was somewhere watching us. He was just waiting for the right moment to show up. Or at least this is what I was telling myself.
However, since now my baby was all grown, I was considering on going back to college to complete my degree. My mother and Lana were very supportive of it. Good thing, Lana was there to look out for my baby, anytime I made up my mind.
For the first time since I separated with Brian, I logged into the internet. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of everything that had been happening. On one end, I was expecting the media to have forgotten about us. The last thing I wanted was to expose my child to the bad publicity or anything of sort.
As I logged into the college website, the notifications kept popping up on my screen. Some were the latest gossip from magazines and others from college. I noticed my name nor Brian's was nowhere in the headlines.
Releasing a long breath, I thanked the heavens for removing me from the spotlight. Although I would admit, I was very much tempted to open the magazines and enjoy some juicy gossip. I decided not to for safety of my mental health.
After filling the form I needed to fill to resume my studies, I turned off my computer and went back to my baby. I was scheduled to resume classes on Monday, hence savouring every moment I had with my son.
I was glad my lessons schedule was very flexible, allowing me more time with my child. Prince was peacefully sleeping in his cot when I went to him. His tiny nose was reminding me of everything about Brain. I smiled when he stirred in his sleep.
"Oh my baby," I gave him a gentle peck on the forehead before heading to the kitchen.
I found Lana had already prepared our supper. As usual, I told her to join me as we shared the meal together. I revealed to her about college and my classes which were to begin the following week. Therefore, I requested her to take good care of my baby. I had no doubt she would. Prince was her godson, and who was better to look after him than his godmother!
The weekend flew fast. Monday was here for me to go to college. I couldn't get more excited. My bodyguard had requested to accompany me to school, despite my many attempts to object. He thought it would be safer to take extra precaution due to the unpredictable approaches with Paparazzi. The last thing we wanted was to get ambushed on my first day.
I made my way to the office without evoking stares from anyone. The first day was already going well more than I had anticipated. As I waltzed up the stairs, an uneasy feeling begun gnawing on my skin. I had secluded myself for so long, I had forgotten what it felt like to be in the public eye.
It took me too much effort and courage, to get myself into the supervisor's office without having a change of mind. Everything was completely different from the last time I was there. The office had new decor and I noticed the board of Mrs. Jane, our supervisor, was replaced by a new Mr. Damon.
I carefully trekked in while announcing my presence. The man in a dark suit, whom i presumed as Mr. Damon was busy in his files. He raised his head to welcome me.
"Have a seat Miss Benards,"
He welcomed.
I immediately took one of the seats across from him.
"Thank you." I replied.
"The institution is glad to have you back. "
He begun. I hope you and your family are doing well.
" He said, while giving me a knowing smile. I felt like he knew something about me, which made me more uneasy.
Since I was there in the office of Mr Damon for a brief few seconds, the meeting did not last long. I was glad he turned out to be more friendly towards me. As a new mom, the last thing I wanted in my bucked list was to deal with a frustrating supervisor. I thanked Mr. Damon for his welcoming hospitality and left his office.
Hurriedly , I jotted down the stairs to my class. I was rooted in my feet when I found the class full of students and everyone, as if they were on order, turned their heads towards me. Too much attention for the first day. I whispered under my breath.
Making my way to my desk, everything seemed to have their focus on me. From the desks, the lecturer, the students, even the walls. All of their attention was on me. I immediately regretted going back to college.
The thought of resuming my studies online had escaped me, but I avoided it because I wanted to physically attend to my lessons. Given the unnecessary attention I was getting, I made a mental note to immediately change my classes.
I should have thought about that in the first place. It would have saved me so much hassle and not only get me to study, but also give me more time to attend to my baby. I excused myself from the class, and went back to Mr. Damon's office. I explained to him how I found the situation very disturbing. I told him I wanted to sign-up for online classes.
He was very understanding and dismissed me to go back home. My bodyguard was very worried when I showed up on such a short period.
"What happened Ma'am? Do I need to report someone? " Denis asked.
"No. We're going back home!" I told him.